Friday, May 30, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
DOI Decision on Polar Bears Wrong on Science and Reality
NCPA Expert Says Ruling Reflects Concern for Politics, Not Polar Bears
DALLAS, May 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A decision today by the Bush Administration to list the polar bear as a threatened species is not based upon the best available science, according to NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett. The U.S. Interior Department's decision, delivered a day before a court-imposed deadline, cites the decline in Arctic sea ice as the reason.
"Secretary Kempthorne's decision to list the polar bear as threatened is not based on the best available science," Burnett said, "nor does it conform to direct observation of polar bear populations."
Kempthorne noted that the Interior Department will cite studies by its own scientists, based on computer models showing that the decline in Arctic sea ice could lead to the demise of two-thirds of the polar bear population by 2050, even though the computer predictions don't match the current census of polar bears.
"Basing such a serious decision on computer models that still cannot accurately portray present climate conditions and have not met objective standards established by forecasting experts is foolish," Burnett added. "Sea ice has actually grown back this year and polar bear populations, as a whole, are healthy, growing and not endangered or threatened."
Research shows, for example, that Alaska's polar bear population is stable and Canada's polar bear population has increased 25 percent during the past decade. Where polar bears are declining scientists think the reason may be due to too many bears competing for food, rather than a decline in sea ice.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Threat to polar bears
Recently the U. S. Administration listed polar bears as a threatened species due to a reducing Arctic sea ice, caused by global warming. However, the government refuses to change its stand on Kyoto Protocol on climate change nor has it any plans to halt oil drilling in the bears’ habitat.
(Source: The Hindu, May 16, 2008)
World CO2 levels highest for 650,000 years
David Abraham of Guardian Newspapers reports that CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has reached a record high of 357 parts per million (ppm), the highest figure for the past 650,000 years. The data published by the US National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration confirm that CO2 , the chief green house gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than what was expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14 ppm. From 1970 to 2000 the concentration rose by about 1.5 ppm each year, but since 2000 the annul rate had increased to an average of 2.1 ppm.
(Source: The Hindu, May 14, 2008)
“Global warming—the answer is the tree”
The Departments of forest and education of the Kerala government are launching a joint programme this year to spread greenery in Kerala. Last year they had run a campaign called ‘my tree’ which saw school children planting and taking care of more than 2.5 million saplings in school compounds, public lots and home back yards. This year’s campaign named ‘our tree’ will start on June 5, the World Environment Day with higher secondary / college students planting at least one million saplings of rain trees across the state. School children will also participate with fresh supply of saplings. It is heartening to note that many school teachers, public personalities, academics, and poets like Mrs. Sugatha Kumari are active participants in greening of Kerala with the purpose of slowing down global warming.
(Source: The Hindu, May 17, 2008)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sunday, May 4, 2008
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